Akin Gump litigation partner Mark MacDougall has been quoted in the BloombergView article “When the Fake News Is About Your Company,” an opinion column offering tips on what businesses can do when they are targeted by fake news. The threat, according to the story, has corporate executives nervous.

Among the suggestions for how companies can plan for and address possible fake news about their businesses is to consider legal action. MacDougall, who has handled reputational recovery issues for individuals and organizations, said, “There is no better place to confront the purveyors of fake news than the American courtroom. Civil discovery, sworn depositions, and the prospect of a public trial offer the only effective mechanism to put these people under oath, find out who is funding them, and whose interests they are serving. That’s very powerful stuff.”

MacDougall continued by noting that even if the backers of a website promulgating the fake news appear to be well-funded, it’s still possible to win a civil suit by showing harm and reckless disregard for the truth. “There are lots of good lawyers in this country who will take on cases without pay to expose bad conduct like fake news,” he added.